Andy

Good teams don't look as good when they're playing other good teams. Like when the Ravens struggled against a near certain playoff Browns team. That's one example. The Bears struggled yesterday against a near certain playoff Buccaneers team. The AFC also is 38-22 against the NFC this year. I wouldn't call it struggling. It really wasn't a hard fought game. The Bears completely dominated until they went to sleep in the 4th, and TB took advantage. The Bears then re-awakened and snuffed out TB's chances. The Bears needed overtime at home to beat a team that is likely to get a top 5 pick in the draft. Right now, they're 3rd. I'd root for them to get Quinn if it wouldn't negatively impact the Panthers.

I hope the Bears send out their starters for one more week. If the Lions lose out, they get the No. 1 pick no matter what Oakland does. :)

Thursday, Dec. 21 at 8 pm (NFL Network) ------------------------------ Minnesota (6-8) at Green Bay (6-8) Saturday, Dec. 23 at 8 pm (NFL Network) ------------------------------ Kansas City (7-7) at Oakland (2-12) Sunday, Dec. 24 at 1 pm ---------------------------- Baltimore (11-3) at Pittsburgh (7-7) Carolina (6-8) at Atlanta (7-7) Indianapolis (11-3) at Houston (4-10) New England (10-4) at Jacksonville (8-6) New Orleans (9-5) at NY Giants (7-7) Tampa Bay (3-11) at Cleveland (4-10) Tennessee (7-7) at Buffalo (7-7) Washington (5-9) at St. Louis (6-8) Sunday, Dec. 24 at 4 pm ---------------------------- Arizona (4-10) at San Francisco (6-8) Cincinnati (8-6) at Denver (8-6) San Diego (12-2) at Seattle (8-6) Monday, Dec. 25 at 5 pm (NBC) ---------------------------- Philadelphia (8-6) at Dallas (9-5) Monday, Dec. 25 at 8:30 pm (ESPN) ---------------------------- NY Jets (8-6) at Miami (6-8)

Monday afternoons, I believe.

Either one player can't be responsible for the success of the team or he can. We can't have it both ways just to support Sammy. Sammy Sosa's 2001 pretty much was single-handed. The 2nd most homers that anyone hit on that team was 17 (Stairs and Rondell). The 2nd highest batting average on the team was .307 (Rondell), and he only played 95 games. Even the pitching staff had only two guys with ERA's under 4 (Wood at 3.36 and Lieber at 3.80). The pen didn't have a single member with a sub-2.50 ERA. Sammy OPS'd 1.174, hit 64 homers, drove in 160, got on base at a .437 clip, batted .328...he led the team in TRIPLES even, with 5. He was the only guy on the team to score 100 runs and nearly scored 150. His 116 walks was 64 more than anyone else on the team. The Cubs had three regulars - Stairs, Hundley and Matthews Jr. - who posted .250 averages or worse. For more: http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/2001.shtml If it wasn't a single-handed effort, it was the closest you will ever get to one. That team shouldn't have won 75 games, let alone 88.

Well, at least that should be the end of Dan Henning, who put together the single worst offensive gameplan in football history today.

hahahahahahahahahahahaha Santonio Holmes TD 34-3 The Panthers are the comedy gift that keeps on giving. (In case you haven't noticed, they've officially driven me insane) ETA: That was the last straw for CBS - they went to the Titans game. Somehow Carolina went from a team with no holes in preseason to a team that sucks at absolutely everything.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha If we started playing like this a little sooner we'd get Brady Quinn for sure

Seriously, WHAT THE HELL? How can you pass for one-yard screens EVERY PLAY????

This is probably the single stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. I cannot believe this team is doing this. If I hadn't already committed myself to this stupid team I'd stop following baseball. There is no excuse for giving a former CARDINAL the number worn by one of the 3 most influential Cubs of all-time. Screw you, McDonough.

ND cruised past Elon.

Fire Dan Henning. This is one of the most embarrassingly bad games I've ever seen played.

Because one game played by one team in the entire conference clearly makes that point. BSU surprisingly beat Valpo today 61-40.

Despite my general ineptitude in the ATS picks for much of the year, I've been above .500 in each week but two in straight-up picks. Surprising.

There will be a separate thread for BCS game discussion that will go up closer to gametime. Till then, enjoy this thread! PetroSun Independence Bowl in Shreveport, LA - 12/28, 4:30 pm (ESPN) Oklahoma State vs. Alabama Pacific Life Holiday Bowl in San Diego, CA - 12/28, 8 pm (ESPN) (21) Texas A&M vs. (20) California Texas Bowl in Houston, TX - 12/28, 8 pm (NFL Network) (16) Rutgers vs. Kansas State Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl in Nashville, TN - 12/29, 1 pm (ESPN) Clemson vs. Kentucky Brut Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX - 12/29, 2 pm (CBS) (24) Oregon State vs. Missouri AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, TN - 12/29, 4:30 pm (ESPN) South Carolina vs. Houston Insight Bowl in Tempe, AZ - 12/29, 7:30 pm (NFL Network) Texas Tech vs. Minnesota Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, FL - 12/29, 8 pm (ESPN) Purdue vs. Maryland Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, NC - 12/30, 1 pm (ESPN) Navy vs. (23) Boston College Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, TX - 12/30, 4:30 pm (ESPN) (18) Texas vs. Iowa Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, GA - 12/30, 8 pm (ESPN) Georgia vs. (14) Virginia Tech MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, ID - 12/31, 7:30 pm (ESPN) Miami vs. Nevada Outback Bowl in Tampa, FL - 1/1, 11 am (ESPN) (17) Tennessee vs. Penn State AT&T Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX - 1/1, 11:30 am (FOX) (10) Auburn vs. (22) Nebraska Toyota Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL - 1/1, 1 pm (CBS) (13) West Virginia vs. Georgia Tech Capital One Bowl in Orlando, FL - 1/1, 1 pm (ABC) (12) Arkansas vs. (5) Wisconsin International Bowl in Toronto, ON - 1/6, 12 pm (ESPN2) Western Michigan vs. Cincinnati GMAC Bowl in Mobile, AL - 1/7, 8 pm (ESPN) Ohio vs. Southern Miss

Stat of the game (besides Big Ben's 27 :shock: boards): BG: 3/15 shooting. 18 points. The fact that he can get to the line now and put up 18 even when he's having a terrible shooting night is absolutely HUGE.

Good FT shooters on the floor.

Career-high is 28. I can't even remember the last 30-board game in the NBA.

88-81 Bulls.

TT's turning into a stud. 78-76 Bulls.

Big Ben with ten rebounds after one.

Mother of crap, Big Ben just had about the most thunderous dunk I've ever seen! Bulls up 11-4 early

Here's hoping for a double-player jersey retirement ceremony for Maddux and Jenkins. Retiring numbers for two different players is a little ridiculous, especially since Maddux's Cubs career on its own wasn't even close to worthy of a jersey retirement.

My remaining picks: Dallas (-3) over ATLANTA CHICAGO (-13.5) over Tampa Bay CAROLINA (+2.5) over Pittsburgh (I know, shut up :wink: ) GREEN BAY (-5) over Detroit BALTIMORE (-11) over Cleveland Jacksonville (-3.5) over TENNESSEE NY Jets (+3.5) over MINNESOTA (mind-boggling spread) NEW ENGLAND (-11) over Houston NEW ORLEANS (-10) over Washington Miami (+1) over BUFFALO (another mind-boggling spread) Denver (-2.5) over ARIZONA (and another) St. Louis (+1) over OAKLAND (and yet another) Philadelphia (+5.5) over NY GIANTS (seriously, what the hell) SAN DIEGO (-9) over Kansas City INDIANAPOLIS (-3) over Cincinnati

Three or four wins? Yeah thats just not true. i just dont get it. if getting rid of worthless players doesnt really help then why bother? its like saying the game is 98% luck. You could get rid of Neifi Perez and replace him with Barry Bonds at the height of his roid-age and if he only played off the bench it wouldn't change THAT much.